Bio paper2

Cards (50)

  • Homeostasis is the term given to an organism's ability to regulate internal conditions even when external conditions change
  • Our bodies work hard to regulate blood glucose concentration, temperature, and water levels
  • The nervous system consists of the CNS (central nervous system) - the brain and spinal cord, and the PNS (peripheral nervous system) - the nerves that go through the rest of the body
  • A reflex is when the signal bypasses the brain and goes straight through the spine to the effector, known as a reflex arc
  • Glands can also be effectors which produce specific chemicals your body needs depending on the situation
  • The endocrine system is a system of glands that produce or secrete hormones that travel to effectors via the blood
  • The pituitary gland in your brain can be considered the main or Master gland as it produces hormones in response to stimuli that travel to other glands in your body
  • The pancreas is involved in making sure that your blood glucose levels aren't too high or too low
  • Type 1 diabetes is when your pancreas can't produce enough insulin and you have to take insulin injections to do the job instead
  • Type 2 diabetes is when your cells no longer absorb the glucose as they should
  • Water balance is maintained by the kidneys filtering the blood to absorb useful substances like glucose and some ions
  • Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) is produced in the pituitary gland which travels to the kidneys and causes the tubules in the kidney to reabsorb more water into the bloodstream
  • Reproduction: Menstruation occurs in females after puberty
  • FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) causes the neck to mature in the ovary and the ovaries to produce estrogen
  • Progesterone is also produced by the ovaries which maintains the uterus lining
  • Contraception options include pills, injections, implants, condoms, diaphragms, and IUDs
  • IVF (in vitro fertilization) is a method used for couples who have difficulty conceiving naturally
  • Adrenaline increases heart and breathing rate in stressful situations to prepare the body for fight or flight
  • Thyroxine controls metabolic rate and is secreted by the thyroid
  • Plants have their own hormones which can be utilized for growth and development
  • Gametes are sex cells made through meiosis for sexual reproduction
  • Variation occurs through meiosis and the swapping of genes between similar chromosomes
  • An advantage of sexual reproduction is that variation occurs which can result in organisms becoming better suited to their environment
  • An advantage of asexual reproduction is that only one parent is needed
  • Some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually
  • Genome is the term given to all the genetic material in an organism, stored in DNA
  • A gene is a section of DNA that codes for a specific protein
  • The Human Genome Project completed its initial goal in 2003, mapping out what every gene is responsible for coding
  • Phenotype is the term given to what code is stored in your DNA, while phenotype is how that code is expressed in your characteristics
  • Nucleotides are the monomers between the two strands of DNA, made from a sugar and phosphate group (A, T, C, and G)
  • Every three bases in DNA code for an amino acid
  • The sequence in DNA is copied by mRNA and taken to a ribosome where amino acids are connected to make a protein
  • Harmful mutations can change a gene resulting in a protein that doesn't function properly
  • Some DNA doesn't directly code for proteins but influences how other genes are expressed, known as epigenetics
  • Characteristics can be controlled by one gene (e.g., color blindness) or multiple genes
  • Alleles are different types of the same gene, with dominant alleles being expressed over recessive alleles
  • Human DNA is contained in 23 pairs of chromosomes, with one pair determining sex (XX for female, XY for male)
  • Variation in organisms is a result of genes inherited from parents and environmental factors
  • Bacterial resistance is evidence of Darwinian evolution, where mutations lead to increased resistance to antibiotics
  • Organisms producing fertile offspring are considered of the same species